The meat paradox and health-related aspects: A cluster analysis among red meat consumers

Many consumers in Western countries enjoy eating meat as they consider it a key component in their diets, despite increasing awareness of the negative effects of meat overconsumption. The inner conflict that arises from the discrepancy between consumers' attitudes and actual behaviour can be named the “meat paradox.” Thus, meat eaters adopt rationalization as a coping strategy to solve this discrepancy by means of four meat-eating justifications, known as the 4Ns: eating meat is natural, normal, necessary, and nice. However, how these meat-eating justifications vary among consumers and to what extent health-related aspects influence rationalization is unclear. This is the first study that identified specific red meat consumer segments according to the 4Ns, shedding light on the influence of health-related aspects. To achieve this, a two-step cluster analysis was performed on a stratified, representative sample of 1179 Italian red meat consumers. As a result, three red meat consumer segments (flexitarians, potential flexitarians, and meat lovers) were identified according to their meat-eating justifications. In addition, they were characterized by different health-related aspects as well as consumption habits, social norms, and sociodemographic characteristics. Our findings provide theoretical implications and practical knowledge to policymakers and non-profit organizations devising interventions to reduce excessive meat consumption and shift toward more sustainable diets.